


Climate Change

by Zivitz



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Between Seasons/Series, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27246214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zivitz/pseuds/Zivitz
Summary: Set between seasons 2 and 3, the weather turns colder and leads to something no one expected.
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane
Comments: 18
Kudos: 31





	Climate Change

**Author's Note:**

> Justine mentioned that we missed all of the cold season between seasons 2 and 3 and all the opportunities for cuddling that represented. So here we are. 
> 
> Many thanks to Aditi, Alison, Fen, Sara, Brit, and everyone else who looked this over, tried getting me over the writer's block, or otherwise listened to be whine and complain.

“Can you hand me the-” Abby handed him a pad from the other end of the couch. Ten minutes later,

“I need-” Marcus passed her the report on generator efficiency.

They worked in comfortable silence, Abby bundled in all the outerwear she could manage and Marcus pulling his sweater down over his fingers from time to time. The heat situation was turning out to be more complicated than they’d anticipated and heating more than one area of the ruined Ark at a time was something they hadn’t quite figured out how to do. That left them heating common areas first and leaving sleeping quarters to the mercy of body heat and blankets.

The Chancellor’s office faced west, leaving it burning in summer and with a lovely warm glow in the fall afternoons, but there was a noticeable difference in temperature when the sun finally sank below the treeline. Marcus only felt the chill start to settle in about the same time he started needing to squint to see what was on the screen. He shivered and looked up to see if he’d left his coat in easy reach when he saw her on the other end of the couch. Abby was bundled up in her coat **and** his, hat on and hood up so far he only knew she was still in there because he could see her breath drifting upwards in regular puffs. Her hands were hidden somewhere in her sleeves, trying to hold her datapad through some serious shaking, and her legs were drawn up to her chest under a fur she’d dragged off her bed at the opposite end of the room. 

“Abby, why didn’t you say anything?”

“About what?” came the muffled reply.

“You must be freezing, we should’ve quit an hour ago. Or at least moved someplace warmer.”

“I’m fine,” she said through clacking teeth.

She squawked in protest as he pulled the pad and fur away from her. “Hey! I’m almost-”

“God, your fingers are like ice. I’m not having the Chancellor catch her death of cold on my watch.”

“That’s not how it works,” she said, jaw quivering with the effort of not chattering, and watched him trade the fur for one of the woollen blankets and larger pelts on her bed. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you warm.” He sat back down in his spot on the couch and gestured her closer. “Come here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ll just go to the mess hall and warm up.”

“You know as well as I do it’s fifteen degrees tops in there. Come on, I won’t bite.”

Abby sighed and shifted herself down the cushions until she was within a few inches. He rolled his eyes as he spread out the blanket and fur over their laps, and wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer.

“Marcus-”

“Take off your coat.”

Her eyes widened as if he’d asked her to strip naked. “What?”

“Come on, Abby, you need to get warm before the coat will help you.”

He was right, and she slowly began taking off her outer layers- his coat, then hers, the bulkiest of her sweaters, and slipped her boots off to tuck her feet under her. She felt exposed as she climbed back under the covers with him, stiffening slightly as he tucked her into his side. 

“Is this okay?” 

“It’s fine,” she said shortly. 

“Relax,” he said softly. “It’s okay to need someone.”

She didn’t have an answer for that, so she just lay her head gingerly against his shoulder.

There was a short period of silence before Abby started shaking again. Thinking her cold, Marcus began to rub her arm with a broad hand. It must be worse than he thought if she was still shivering. Then he heard a small sound, growing louder until it was unmistakable. 

“Are you **laughing**?” 

“Yes,” she gasped, unable to help herself. Marcus looked flummoxed. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Us! Look at us,” she gestured at them, curled together on one corner of the couch under a pile of blankets. “Would you ever in a million years think we’d be here? Abby Griffin and Marcus Kane, willingly sharing anything but dirty looks?” 

His lips twitched, one side of his mouth quirking in a half-smile. “I suppose that’s true.” 

She poked him in the chest. “You know it’s true.” 

He caught her hand in his. “It is. But through all of this upheaval and change- I’m glad it’s been you.” 

They didn’t talk about this, the low hum of... something between them. Friends, yes, but also something else. She looked up at him, his face passive and half-hidden under the stubble that had started to become a beard, one she’d had more than a few dreams about running her fingers through- she dropped her gaze to their hands and released a shaky breath. “I’m glad it’s been you, too.” 

She thought his voice was lower when he answered. “I thought you’d prefer anyone over me.” 

“I probably would have, before. But since-” she paused, not wanting to bring up memories she knew haunted him.

“Since when?” he cocked his head at her, curious.

“Since the culling,” she sighed. “You started to change, then.”

He looked away. “It did change me.” 

She tugged the covers higher and tentatively snaked an arm around his middle. “For the better, Marcus.” 

“I’m not sure I believe that,” he murmured against her hair, and when had he gotten so close? A warmth flooded her that had nothing to do with wool and fur. This was a dangerous game they were playing and yet she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. There was a part of herself that hated how much she liked the feel of strong arms around her, pulling her close, speaking only for her to hear. Part of her that hated how much she liked it was Marcus Kane doing those things. Part of her that hated how easy it was to drown out those thoughts as she listened to his heart beat against her ear. 

“I do,” she whispered back, and his heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t exactly proof of anything, but it felt like encouragement. They held each other for a few moments, warmth slowly seeping into her from his form so close to hers. She looked up to see him frowning slightly into the distance. She didn’t mean to stare, but the opportunity to get close to him so rarely presented itself. She took in his new look- not just the longer hair and stubble-turning-beard, but the way his face had softened and relaxed over the last few months, despite everything that had happened. He wasn’t as tightly wound as he used to be, his sharp edges softened both inside and out. She was on the verge of letting her self think how handsome he really was when he must have noticed her gaze because he glanced down and huffed a small laugh. 

“What?”

“I was just thinking-” Abby wracked her brain for something to say that wasn’t ‘you’re beautiful’ and blurted out, “I never believed Callie when she said you were a cuddler.”

Marcus flushed pink, and Abby felt the heat creeping up on her own face. Smooth. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“It’s okay,” he said, rubbing a thumb along her arm. “It’s okay to talk about her. About them. Callie’s another on my long list of regrets. She deserved more. Better.”

“Callie knew what she was getting into. I never understood it,” she admitted, then added softly, “But I think I do now.”

His hand stilled, and his heartbeat picked up. “You do?” 

“You’re a good man, Marcus Kane. For everything you’ve ever done, you’ve had good intentions. I may not have always liked you, but I never doubted you believed that what you were doing was right for our people.”

“And now?”

“Now I think you’re letting that good man grow into someone amazing. Everything Callie saw in you is coming to the surface.” Her own heart picked up pace as she allowed herself to reach up and cup his cheek, the hair on his face softer than she’d imagined it would be- Jake had always preferred to be clean shaven, claiming it itched too much- and smiled up at him. “And it’s beautiful to watch.”

His own hand found hers on his cheek and something passed between them as his eyes met hers. Something sweet and full of promise. 

“Abby, I-”

The door creaked and they barely had time to look away from each other before hearing Bellamy in mid “Sir, I was wondering if- Oh,” he said, looking stunned as he took in the scene before him. “I’ll... come back later.” 

Abby drew her hand away from Marcus’s face and covered her own, thunking her head against his chest as she groaned. “This is going to be all over camp within the hour.” 

Marcus laughed, his chest rumbling against her ear. “It’s just Bellamy, he won’t say anything.” 

“Are you sure about that?”

“I’m sure. Poor kid is terrified. Besides, what would he say?”

She took her hand from her face and frowned up at him. “Marcus, you know very well what this looks like.” 

He looked at her with a wounded expression and asked, “Would that really be so bad?” 

Her breath hitched and again something passed between them, the electric current palpable. “No,” she breathed. “Maybe not. But we should go talk to him, explain-” 

“Five more minutes,” he said decisively. “I’ll go find out what he wanted and let him know he didn’t walk in on anything private.”

She nodded and relaxed into his embrace. It definitely felt like he had, but she wasn’t going to argue the point. It wasn’t their time yet. But for five more minutes, she reasoned, they could at least keep each other warm. 


End file.
